The Miller Wellness Center (MWC) at South Dakota State University employs a team of four Graduate Assistants who work collaboratively with professional staff within an integrated wellness facility consisting of eight areas: Fitness, Aquatics, Competitive Sports, Outdoor Programs, Health Promotion, Nutrition Services, & the Student Health Clinic & Counseling Services. The MWC is dedicated to supporting academic success and personal development by promoting and encouraging healthy lifestyles for the students and members of the SDSU community. The MWC strives to provide inclusive spaces and programs for all regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, class, creed, disability, gender expression, age, or sexual orientation, and foster an inclusive environment that enables all to succeed.

Graduate Assistants will be responsible for staff supervision, administrative duties, project management, and event management.

Note: Please email the position contact in order to apply. Do not apply through Bluefish.

Position Duration:

• 9-month academic year position: approximately 20 hours/week
• Hourly summer position: approximately 40 hours/week.
• Positions are designed as two, one-year contracts covering the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 academic years.

Graduate Program Options:

• Open to all graduate program options. Nutrition and Exercise Sciences or Sport and Recreation Administration preferred.
• Approximately 36 credit hours, depending on program

Aquatics

Duties & Responsibilities

• Assist in the overall administration and management of aquatics programming.
• Assist in recruiting, hiring, training, supervising, and evaluation of approximately 20 student employees including  lifeguards, swim lesson instructors, water group fitness instructors and  head lifeguard.
• Coordinate and oversee aquatic special events and instructional programs to include group and private swim lessons, lifeguard training and other courses as appropriate.
• Manage the aquatics scheduling, teach or sub shifts as needed. 
• Handle staff payroll and assist in program area budget development.
• Develop and lead in-service trainings for lifeguards, averaging 4 hours of in-service training per month. Conduct live recognition drills to lifeguard staff.
• Implement professional development opportunities for staff; certification classes, workshops, and continuing education credits.
• Maintain a fluid line of communication to staff, communicating weekly to aquatics staff via email. Meet with aquatics student staff individually once a semester, checking in with each student.
• Assist with managing program evaluation, budget and marketing.  
• Create resource guides, procedural manuals and other tools for employee reference.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution in Sport/Recreation Management, Exercise Science, Nutrition, or related field.
• Admittance into an SDState Graduate program.
  • Nutrition and Exercise Sciences or Sport and Recreation Administration preferred.
• American Red Cross Lifeguard certified upon hire.
• Knowledge of American Red Cross lifeguard procedures, pool maintenance and swimming lesson management.
• Successful completion of criminal background check.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two or more years of aquatics experience.
• Prior campus recreation experience.
• NIRSA student member.
• Experience with Fusion software.
• American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor Certification (or ability to obtain within 90 days of hire).
• American Red Cross Water Safety Instruction certification (or ability to obtain within 90 days of hire).
• Certified Pool Operator (or ability to obtain within 90 days of hire).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work with and lead diverse groups.
• Prior supervisory or leadership experience.
• Prior customer service experience.
• Competent knowledge of general computer programs including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.

Application process: Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and list of references to Jake Heidenreich, Fitness and Aquatics Coordinator, at jacob.heidenreich@sdstate.edu. Applications will be reviewed until position is filled.

General Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Passionate about student development and the mentoring of student employees.
• Demonstrate ability to work with students, student organizations, faculty/staff, and community groups.
• Demonstrate ability to lead diverse groups of individuals employing flexibility in management techniques, appropriate to a variety of situations.
• Knowledge and ability to manage multiple programs/events at multiple facilities.
• Strong time management and supervisory skills.
• Area specific knowledge built by previous hands-on experience.

Admissions Requirements

• No GRE required for Sport & Recreation Studies or Exercise Science; requirements for other programs may vary.
• 3.0 GPA over last two years required

About South Dakota State University

South Dakota State University is the largest university in the state with more than 12,000 students enrolled. Founded in 1881 as a Land-Grant institution, the University subscribes to the philosophy of education, research, and extension as its three-fold mission. The SDSU Graduate School offers 57 graduate programs in six academic colleges.The Wellness Center is dedicated to supporting academic success and personal development by promoting and encouraging healthy lifestyles for all members. The Wellness Center is an integrated wellness facility consisting of 8 areas: Fitness, Aquatics, Competitive Sports, Outdoor Programs, Health Promotion, Nutrition Services, and Student Health Clinic & Counseling Services. The Wellness Center features over 110,000 square feet of recreation space including a 38,000 sq. ft addition, which opened in fall 2018.South Dakota State University is in Brookings, South Dakota, a community of approximately 24,300 near the east central border of South Dakota on Interstate 29. The city has an excellent parks and recreation system, is accessible to major medical facilities, has an active cultural and social environment, and has numerous lakes and parks within driving distance. It is 50 miles north of Sioux Falls, a city of close to 207,000.

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